Toilet flushing system using compressed air

ABSTRACT

Toilet Flushing system using compressed air ( 1 ) is thoroughly automated, run by a PLC, operable just by the pressing of a single button, self-cleaning, which saves water for the waste expel from the toilets as well as working force and chemical products for cleaning them, which uses compressed air for expelling the waste and contaminated waters in replacement for the great amount of water submitted to the gravity force and is operated in expel-replacement cycles of the toilet hydro seal, object of this patent, is consisted of the most effective and radical devices that save the toilets flushing water. As the waste expelling and the hydro seal replacement in the conventional toilets can only be performed by the jet of a large amount of water, they are fundamentally great wasters of water. The “toilet flushing system using compressed air” ( 1 ), at the same time it replaces the large amount of water of expelling the hydro seal and wastes for compressed air, it also performs the specific toilet ( 21 ) internal wall cleaning, also producing a saving of chemical products and work-force for their cleaning.

STATE OF THE ART

There is lack of water and too much waste and garbage in the world.

The current world population is of six billion people; in many countries, like in Brazil, the urban population reaches 80% of the total amount, that is, Man gathers in vertical urban constructions, covers the spaces with asphalt and overpasses for his automobiles and turns the clear rivers on whose edges his history began into open-air viscous sewers.

The daily average for human waste production is around 2 liters of urine and 700 grams of excrement.

The urine is expelled several times a day, the solid waste material once or twice. Almost all the times this occurs, the toilets are flushed, which consists of a fast, intense jet of water and of a particular geometry of vortex system that has three goals:

1—Remove the waste, liquid or solid, from the place in which it was deposited, which includes the toilet paper;

2—Form a water flow in the public sanitary sewer net so that the waste is dragged away by the water flow to the sewage plants or to further natural water resources such as rivers, sea, etc.

3—Make the toilet blatantly clean by taking off any waste that might have adhered to its walls.

Until about 20 years ago, there were two main co-existing systems of water flush production:

1—In the oldest constructions, boxes of around 30 liters were placed nearly 2 meters higher than the toilets from which the water was withdrawn very fast by a siphon resource through a tube of a bigger diameter;

2—In vertical constructions, by special valves connected to pipelines of a bigger diameter and high pressures, so that such valves, once pressed, would be kept open for variable time in order to provide water in enough amount to drag out the excrement and wash the side walls of the toilets where any matter could have gotten adhered.

The first system worked satisfactorily and it was kind of economical because once it was started, the siphon extracted the content from the reservoir (water box) in a few seconds but, as the connection to the household water system was of a small diameter and the level difference between the household water box were small, it took some minutes until the flush water box was refilled and due to the siphon system it did not work during the refilling time or until its level had come to a certain height.

In the second system, as the valves could be purposely pressed for long periods of time and kept open while pressed, according to sanitary workers' researches, even the playful aspect of the flush operation induced the users to a large and unnecessary water consumption.

Nowadays, in domiciliary, commercial and industrial settings, the technical norms preconize saving water in toilet flushes, limiting it to 6 liters per cycle in Brazil, which was technically achieved due to the fact that the water reservoir for the flush is juxtaposed with the toilet in its upper back part, it has a limited capacity, it works by a siphon system in tubes of big diameters, it is able to produce a great water flow for some instants, all of this aided by the new shapes of the toilets and the flush ducts in a way that the flush flow tends to turn in vortix and accomplish its work.

For the fact that the water reservoir is filled through a connection of a low diameter with the internal water system, it requires a considerable time for its refilling, which discourages the waste because it prevents from successive flushes.

It is important to note that, unlike the industrial field where there is an availability of water of several purity levels, due to its use, the water used in the toilet flush in the domiciliary field receives an accurate treatment and is practically proper for drinking.

So, the State of the Art with regard to the household toilet flushes is set by the need of saving water and improving the performance of the whole that even with privileged geometries in order to produce the dragging with little water depends basically on gravity.

However, three sources of widely complex technology demands were imposed: they are the technologies for planes, ships and submarines that have extremely peculiar demands.

These demands imply the pressure control in conditions of extreme differences both in the sense of preventing the toilets to be invaded by great external pressures, such as in ships and submarines, and, otherwise, on planes with pressurized cabins flying at altitudes where the external pressures are minimum.

It is to note that, specially in case of planes where the flight cost is proportional to its cargo weight, flush water consumption must be the least and this issue becomes deeply significant when you think of an intercontinental flight non-stop plane, lasting more than 12 hours, carrying hundreds of passengers who have meals and all kinds of drinks.

Thus, historically, the State of the Art advances related to toilet flushes have been awfully sophisticated and, although many technical solutions developed for several settings haven't been able to be settled on the market because they are always notably more expensive and demanding and they need more maintenance work than the conventional systems, an evolutive way is already traced for the Art:—saving water!

This field has been being revealed so subjected to innovative proposals that, for this patent manufacture, a research based on the patent data was carried out and found over 600 documents related to the theme, although not even at least a project that could make progress in the State of the Art as this patent does with so much simplicity and getting to save so much water was found.

The two most currently used methods and resources are:—considerable volumes of water under the gravity effect or the production of low pressures in the sewer ducts—such effect known as “vacuum”, in which the local atmospheric pressure presses the water mass and the waste toward the low pressured ducts.

There is a less used third one, which employs the water pressurization to expel the waste from the toilet.

All these methods—with hundreds of sorts of proposed devices—have something in common: they are all operated with the toilet lid open!

Advances in the State of the Art Performed by This Patent

The first advance in the State of the Art proposed by this patent is radically innovative because it operates with the toilet lid hermetically closed, sealed by rubber rings or something alike, and the toilet has its interior pressurized by compressed air, with relatively low pressures, during the moments of waste expelling and the hydro seal contaminated by the waste, that is, it uses the abundant air under pressure to replace great volumes of water subjected exclusively to the gravity action.

Secondly, for the first time in History, computerization has a place in this patent to help Man preserve the water used for the human excreta elimination:—the object of this patent proposes a mechanism that operates in cycles and is run automatically by “PLC”.

In third place, by using pressurization for waste removal, this patent utilizes this extremely abundant resource without producing remains, to replace another resource that becomes more rare r and expensive day by day.

In fourth place, this patent, by using the mechanisms described above, produces a radical saving of water for expelling the waste from the toilets; with less than 2 liters for each use, it allows even the objects of a high volume to be released through the sewers. It is to take into consideration that 2 liters of water are a minimum consumption if compared to what is commended by the most economical laws at work.

In fifth place, the object of this patent includes a “self-cleaning” function, which saves work-force and chemical cleaning products and keeps the whole always clean and without bad smells.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration without details for a global understanding of the TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR (1) operation; in the FIG. 1 we can see the specific toilet (21) with its hydro seal (22), the siphon sewer (23), the toilet lid (18) with its latch; we can also see the compressed air tank (24), the pressurized water tank (25), the air compressor (27) and the “PLC” (16).

The TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR (1) works as follows, according to FIG. 1:—after its use, the specific toilet lid (18) is hermetically closed and kept in this position by the latch (26). When the user starts the command button (20), the “PLC” (16) activates the necessary devices so that the compressed air, under the pressure of 25 “PSI” held inside the compressed air tank (24), where it was introduced by the air compressor (27), is suddenly released into the interior of the specific toilet (21), producing an air stroke and a pressure of about 4 “PSI” inside the specific toilet (21), which expels, with an effective stroke, the water that constitutes the hydro seal (22), in which the waste was accumulated, making that, along with the pressurized air, both of them go down the siphon sewer (23), thus returning the internal pressure of the specific toilet (21) to the same value as that of the local atmospheric pressure. Aided by the PLC (16), which was properly programmed, the automated devices keep working:—the PLC (16) releases part of the content from the pressurized water tank (25) for the “self-cleaning” function—which, by means of its non-constant washing tips in FIG. 1, washes the specific toilet (21) walls with under-pressured water, replacing the hydro seal (22) with the water contaminated by the waste that, by chance, had adhered to the specific toilet (21) walls; the next step operated by the PLC (16) is to produce a new stroke of compressed air by the release of a part of the content in the compressed air tank (24), which causes, again, the removal of the hydro seal (22), now composed of water and the waste washed from the walls by the previous automatic operation, which also lets the compressed air, under low pressure, go through the siphon sewer (23) recovering the internal pressure of the specific toilet (21) to the same values as that of the local atmospheric pressure.

The next operational step, commanded by the PLC (16) is launching a new amount of water from the pressurized water tank (25) to the hydro seal (22) replacement and releasing the specific toilet lid (18) through the latch (26) locking mechanism—not shown in FIG. 1—leaving the whole free for a new use, because the air compressor (27) is also activated to replace the pressures involved with the processes as well as the water from the water system which is received inside the pressurized water tank (25).

The operation general description made in the FIG. 1, in which the unnecessary devices for understanding how the object of this patent works were purposely omitted, whose operation is automatic and can be performed by anyone just by pressing a single button, takes us now to the complete conceptual description of the “ TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR” (1), which is “a thoroughly new system, automated, manageable just by pressing one single button, self-cleaning, run by a PLC, for saving water during the removal of the waste off the toilets as well as work-force and chemical cleaning products, which uses compressed air for the waste and contaminated water removal, replacing the great amounts of water just by being subjected to the gravity force and operates in cycles of expelling and replacing the hydro seal of the toilet”.

FIG. 2 shows the operational circuit—working diagram—as well as its devices in a schematic way to serve as reference for the detailed description of the “TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR”. We can clearly see in this FIG. 2 the automated operation of the object of this patent. In order to make this proposed system work, it is needed to supply it with water by linking it to the household plumbing system (1A), air by the entry (27A) and electric energy by linking it to the household wiring system (3A).

The water supply was projected considering the solutions for providing sanitary pieces used nowadays, that is, it requires a water-feeding spot with the same technical specifications and characteristics as those of an ordinary toilet with the flush clutched to it. As for the compressed air supply, according to the project, a compressor (27) will be manufactured, which will fill the tank with compressed air (24). Finally, a 127V or a 220V electric-power spot has been thought for the electric energy demand.

A single description of the regular basic work cycle is enough for the perfect understanding of this patent object operation.

Regarding that the system is available to work, we will have:

-   -   Pressurized air tank (24) with an internal pressure of 25 PSI;     -   Filled pressurized water tank (25);     -   Compatible electric-power net connected to the electrical         feeding plate (3);     -   Programmed and energized PLC (16);     -   Hermetically closed lid (18);     -   Locked Solenoid latch (17), that is, the electric circuit         doesn't apply tension on it.

By pressing the command button (20), the PLC (16) activates immediately the solenoid valve (13) that is open for a few seconds and allows the passage of the compressed air from the pressurized air tank (24) to the interior of the specific toilet (21) pressurizing it. Such operation expels all the water and materials contained in the hydro seal (22). The projected pressure in the internal chamber of the specific toilet (21) at the time of the compressed air flush is of 4 PSI, measured by the manometer (15). The pressure gauge (14) will send a signal to the PLC (16) that will keep the solenoid valve (13) and the solenoid latch (17) closed in case the pressure in the sanitary basin chamber goes beyond the value of 5 PSI.

By reducing the pressure in the pressurized air tank (24), the pressure gauge (10) sends a signal to the PLC (16) that immediately starts the air compressor (27) activation, thus achieving the first air replacement to it. As the projected pressure (25 PSI) in the pressurized air tank (24) is reached, the pressure gauge (10) sends a new signal to the PLC (16) indicating that the referred tank is completely filled, this PLC (16) turns off the air compressor (27) and commands, at the same time, the opening of the solenoid valve (6) and the solenoid valve (11), starting the cleaning process of the walls in the specific toilet (21) interior through the tips (19) and making the hydro seal (22) replacement.

Again, with the reduction of the internal pressure in the pressurized air tank (24), due to the need of air for the wall cleaning devices and hydro seal replacement, the pressure gauge (10) sends a signal to the PLC (16) which commands immediately the air compressor (27) activation, now starting the second replacement of air in the pressurized tank (24). Just like it happened in the first pressurized air tank (24) refilling, as the projected pressure is reached (25 PSI) in it, the pressure gauge (10) sends a signal to the PLC (16) indicating that the referred tank is completely filled and it turns off the air compressor (27).

Once the specific toilet (21) walls cleaning process and hydro seal (22) replacement are concluded, the solenoid valve (6) and the solenoid valve (11) will be simultaneously closed by a PLC (16) command.

At this stage, the whole system is found completely replaced and with all its functions available to operate the second expelling of the hydro seal along with its content, which is carried out by the sequential PLC (16) command.

This second expelling is made automatically by the PLC (16) and despite of the user's manual activation.

With the command signal released by the PLC (16), the solenoid valve (13) is open and allows the passage of the compressed air, stored in the pressurized air tank (24), to the interior of the specific toilet (21), pressurizing it. Such operation expels all the water and materials, which come from the wall cleaning process now contained in the hydro seal (22). The projected pressure inside the specific toilet (21), at the time of this operation, must also be that of 4 PSI, measured by the manometer (15); in case the pressure goes beyond the value of 5 PSI, the pressure gauge (14) sends a signal to the PLC (16) which will keep the solenoid valve (13) closed and the solenoid latch (17) locked. By reducing the pressure in the compressed air tank (24), the pressure gauge (10) sends a signal to the PLC (16), which immediately starts the third activation of the air compressor (27) and, consequently, the third replacement of air in the pressurized air tank (24). As the projected pressure (25 PSI) in it is reached, the pressure gauge (10) sends a new signal to the PLC (16) indicating that the said tank in completely filled and this turns off the air compressor (27), as this operation may last until the end of the next commanded-to-be operation, which is the replacement of water in the pressurized water tank (25).

The PLC will provide an operational continuity to the program and the first replacement of water in the pressurized water tank (25) is initiated through the simultaneous opening of the solenoid valve (11) and of the solenoid valve (12); the solenoid valve (12) function is to allow the replacement of water in the pressurized water tank (25), releasing the passage of the residual compressed air as the water level rises in such tank.

As the maximum level of water in the pressurized water tank (25) is reached, the level control key (5) sends a signal to the PLC (16), which commands the simultaneous closing of the solenoid valve (11) and of the solenoid valve (12), and it proceeds with the automatic operational cycle of the TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR (1). With the pressurized air tank (24) completely pressurized and the pressurized water tank (25) replaced, the PLC (16) commands the opening of the solenoid valve (6) and, simultaneously, the opening of the solenoid valve (11), beginning the second specific toilet (21) internal walls cleaning process by the tips (19) and the replacement of the hydro seal (22). Again, with the reduction of the pressure inside the pressurized air tank (24), now due to the need of air for the second cycle of wall cleaning and hydro seal replacement, the pressure gauge (10) sends a signal to the PLC (16) which immediately commands the air compressor (27) activation, beginning, thus, the fourth and last air replacement of the pressurized air tank (24)

As the projected pressure (25 PSI) in the interior of the pressurized air tank (24) is reached, the pressure gauge (10) sends a signal to the PLC (16) indicating that the referred tank is totally filled and it turns off the air compressor (27).

Once the process of wall cleaning and hydro seal (22) replacement is over, the solenoid valve (6) and the solenoid valve (11) will be closed simultaneously by a command from the PLC (16).

Lastly, by concluding the operation basic cycle, the second process of water replacement in the pressurized water tank (25) is initiated through the simultaneous opening of both the solenoid valve (11) and the solenoid valve (12), a process which is commanded by the PLC (16). Like the first replacement process, as it reaches the maximum water level inside the pressurized water tank (25), the level control key (5) sends a signal to the PLC (16) which closes, at the same time, the solenoid valve (1) and the solenoid valve (12). The operation basic cycle is finalized. The system, at this stage, is enabled for a new operational cycle just by the user's pressing the command button (20). 

1. “TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR”, wholly automated, commanded by a PLC, operable by the simply pressing of a single button, self-cleaning, which saves water during the waste expel from toilets as well as work-force and chemical products for their cleaning, which uses pressurized air in order to remove the waste and contaminated water as a replacement for the great amount of water submitted to the gravity force, and operates in expel-replacement cycles of the toilet hydro seal characterized by operating with the lid hermetically closed and sealed with rubber rings or alike, as the toilet has its interior pressurized by compressed air in relatively low pressures at the times of expelling the waste and the waste-contaminated hydro seal, with mechanisms that operate in cycles and are automatically commanded by a PLC.
 2. “TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR”, according to claim 1, is characterized by being basically consisted of the specific toilet (21) with a hydro seal (22), siphon sewer (23), the toilet lid (18) with its latch (26); the compressed air tank (24), the pressurized water tank (25), the air compressor (27) and the PLC (16) are also seen.
 3. “TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR”, according to claim 1, is characterized by the fact that the specific toilet lid (18) is hermetically closed and kept in this position by the latch (26), in which by activating the command button (20), the PLC (16) activates the necessary devices so that the compressed air, at the pressure of 25 PSI, contained in the interior of the compressed air tank (24) and introduced there by the air compressor (27), is suddenly released from the inside of the specific toilet (21), producing a stroke of air and a pressure of about 4 PSI inside the specific toilet (21), which expels, with an effective stroke, the water that constitutes the hydro seal (22) in which the waste was accumulated, making it along with the pressurized air go down the siphon sewer (23), replacing, thus, the internal pressure of the specific toilet (21) to the same value as that of the local atmospheric pressure.
 4. “TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR”, according to claim 1, is characterized by the fact that its working system begins by the pressing of the command button (20) which activates the PLC (16) immediately that, in turn, starts the solenoid valve (13) which remains open for some seconds to allow the passage of the compressed air from the pressurized air tank (24) to the interior of the specific toilet (21) pressurizing it for the removal of all the water and materials found in the hydro seal (22), with the projected pressure in the internal chamber of the specific toilet (21) being that of 4 PSI at the time of the compressed air flush, measured by the manometer (15).
 5. “TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR”, according to claim 4, is characterized by the fact that by existing a pressure in the upper sanitary basin at the value of 5 PSI, the pressure gauge (14) will send a signal to the PLC (16) which will keep the solenoid valve (13) closed and the solenoid latch (17) locked; with the pressure reduction in the pressurized air tank (24), the pressure gauge (10) sends a signal to the PLC (16) which immediately commands the air compressor (27) activation, thus, carrying out the first air replacement in it.
 6. “TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR”, according to claim 5, is characterized by the fact that as the projected pressure (25 PSI) in the pressurized air tank is reached, the pressure gauge (10) sends a new signal to the PLC (16) indicating that the referred tank is totally filled, the said PLC (16) turns off the air compressor (27) and commands simultaneously the opening of the solenoid valve (6) and of the solenoid valve (11), starting the cleaning process of the specific toilet (21) interior walls through the tips (19) and causing the hydro seal (22) replacement.
 7. “TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR”, according to claim 6, is characterized by the fact that with the reduction of the pressure in the pressurized air tank (24), the pressure gauge (10) sends a signal to the PLC (16) that immediately commands the air compressor (27) activation, thus, executing the first air replacement in it. As the projected pressure (25 PSI) in the pressurized tank (24) is reached, the pressure gauge (10) sends a new signal to the PLC (16) indicating that the referred tank is completely filled, and the PLC (16) turns off the air compressor (27) and commands simultaneously the opening of the valve solenoid (6) and of the solenoid valve (11), starting the cleaning process of the specific toilet (21) interior walls through the tips and causing the hydro seal (22) replacement.
 8. “TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR”, according to claim 1, is characterized by ideal working of the proposed system as for receiving water by its connection to the household system (1A), air by the entrance (27A) and electric energy by its connection to the household wiring system (3A).
 9. “TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR”, according to claim 8, is characterized by the fact that the system is found replaced automatically and with all its functions available to perform the second expel of the hydro seal and its content, which is made by the sequential command of the PLC (16) despite the user's manual activation, which by having released the command signal through the PLC (16), the solenoid valve (13) is open and it allows the passage of the compressed air stored in the pressurized air tank (24) to the interior of the specific toilet (21) pressurizing it and expelling all the water and material coming from the wall cleaning process and now contained in the hydro seal (22).
 10. “TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR”, according to claim 9, is characterized by the fact that the projected pressure in the interior of the specific toilet (21) at the time of this operation is also that of 4 PSI, measured by the manometer (15)
 11. “TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR”, according to claim 9, is characterized by the existence of a safety control in case the pressure goes beyond the value of 5 PSI, the pressure gauge (14) sends a signal to the PLC (16) which will keep the solenoid valve (13) closed and the solenoid latch (17) locked.
 12. “TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR”, according to claim 9, is characterized by the fact that when the process of cleaning the specific toilet (21) walls and hydro seal (22) replacement is over, the solenoid valve (6) and the solenoid valve (11) will be closed by a command from the PLC (16).
 13. “TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM USING COMPRESSED AIR”, according to claim 1, is characterized by the second expelling of the hydro seal and its content being performed by the sequential command of the PLC (16) despite the user's manual activation, by having released the command signal through the PLC (16), the solenoid valve (13) is open and it allows the passage of the compressed air stored in the compressed air tank (24) to the interior of the specific toilet (21) pressurizing it. 